Automated Speed Enforcement

Speed is the number one factor in severe and fatal crashes in San Francisco. In order to make our streets safe for everyone, drivers must be discouraged from traveling at excessive speeds. Yet traffic officers can’t be everywhere at every moment of the day enforcing speed in our busy city.

How Automated Speed Enforcement Works

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE), also known as speed safety cameras, is a tool that’s been proven to significantly reduce speeding, as well as reduce severe and fatal crashes.

ASE is a safety technology that uses vehicle speed sensors and cameras to capture images of cars traveling at excessive speeds. With ASE, cameras only activate when speeding (usually at least 10 mph over the speed limit), and they can detect speeding across multiple lanes of traffic.

We Need Automated Speed Enforcement to Achieve Vision Zero

Unfortunately, while ASE is currently used in 142 U.S. jurisdictions, it is still illegal in the State of California.

We must change this. Together with our members, San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets, City leaders, and community partners, we are working to pass legislation that would allow San Francisco to be able to pilot using speed safety cameras.

In 2017, Assembly member David Chiu introduced AB 342, the Safe Streets Act of 2017, to allow San Francisco and San Jose to run a five-year, automated speed enforcement pilot program. We are frustrated to share that the bill faced some opposition and did not make it out of committee, despite automated speed enforcement being one of the most effective available tools for saving lives.

Graphic Source: Seattle Department of Transportation

We need your help showing broad support for automated speed enforcement.